Mercenary Tales 17.

The City-State Of Vexil. 

"That's them" quietly says Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy, who follows that with "The two Geist cousins Gamil and Farsen". 

Next to the elven spy, the young field commander Tamric Drubine nods his head, and does so again when the spy Tanith quietly adds "Gamil's the fat one, Farsen is the younger, fitter one". 

Dalinvardèl Tanith or Dalin as he's more commonly called by the others in the group, who is speaking in his native tongue, then quietly says "That cadaverous looking fellow following them is Kilmas, the commander of the Geist Trading Company's guard". 

Tamric Drubine who is a field commander in the armies of Farque watches the Geist cousins, and their guard commander, head this way. 

Then he nods when Dalin quietly says to him "Better look busy I suppose" followed by "Looks like they're going to chat to our captain". 

The group, minus Lord Farque and Dorc da Orc have entered the camp of the mercenary army that's been brought together by the Geist Trading Company, here in the hill country of northern Vexil. 

They came in from the north, following behind some other mercenaries, who entered camp around midday. 

The group, who were led by a blurred and shielded Helbe the elven thief, are in a section of the camp, where the mercenary company led by a captain Marqand has set up. 

Who, along with the rest of his company of about forty mercenaries. Were waiting for the rest of their company to arrive today. 

Thanks to a mass effect spell cast upon them by Helbe the elven thief. Who picked this particular mercenary company for the group to join. For the simple reason though not one of the companies closest to the Geist cousins. 

They are amongst the small number, less than ten to be exact, of companies that the Geist cousins and their guard commander actually trust to get things done. 

As the quality and general makeup of the mercenary army has a lot to be desired, as most of them aren't exactly trustworthy, or have seen a lot of action. 

Dalinvardèl Tanith and Tamric Drubine, who have started lifting crates and boxes into the wagon next to one of the tents used by captain Marqand's company. 

Listen to the conversation between the Geist cousins and the mercenary captain, who they and the rest of the group, company they have joined, so to speak. 

"I see more of your lot have made it here" says Gamil Geist to the mercenary captain Marqand, as Zam the ex mercenary and Tovis the war engineer walk by, and make their way into one of the tents the group has taken over. 

"Is that the lot of them, then?" asks Gamil, the older of the two Geist cousins who are in charge of the mercenary army that's been gathered here in the north of the city-state of Vexil. 

"That's all of them" replies Marqand the mercenary captain, a man in his mid thirties who has been a mercenary for nearly twenty years. 

Marqand looks around, then nods to where Tamric Drubine and Dalinvardèl Tanith are, and he says "Young Tam over there brought them in a little earlier from across the border in Girdane". 

The mercenary captain, along with the rest of his company, who believe the group are part of the company led by him, thanks to the spell cast upon them by Helbe the elven thief, then says "That's the last ten or so of my company here now". 

Captain Marqand continues with "Don't know if you know, but I've got a knight with us, well ex knight I should say" he then adds "And a fighting cleric too". 

Both of the Geist cousins lift an eyebrow in surprise at that, so does their guard commander Kilmas. 

The younger Geist cousin, Farsen asks the mercenary captain "Spellcaster?". "He is" replies captain Marqand. 

"Good" quietly says the younger of the two cousins in charge of the mercenary army, that's been gathered here in the hill country of northern Vexil 

His older cousin Gamil nods his head in agreement, then quietly says "Everyone of them helps" followed by "We don't have a lot of them, so another one definitely helps". 

The mercenary captain nods in understanding, then says "Happy to help out" then he gestures to where Tamric Drubine and Dalinvardèl Tanith are loading the wagon, and adds "Tam's my second, and I trust him completely" followed by "If anything happens to me, he'll take over and honour the contract we signed to join up". 

Both Geist cousins nod at hearing that, as Marqand is one of the small number of mercenary captains, whose companies they can rely on to get things done. 

The two cousins, along with their guard commander, continue chatting with the mercenary captain Marqand for a little bit longer. 

Then they move off, as they make their way around the camp, checking up on the various mercenary companies they've hired. 

After they've moved off, Tamric Drubine the field commander quietly says to Dalinvardèl Tanith in the elven language "Come on" as he nods at one of the tents the group has taken over. 

"Maybe the royal thief is back" continues the noble born field commander, who hails from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin. 

"And he's got more information for us" adds Tamric Drubine or Tam as more often than not he's called by those who know him well. 

Then the two of them enter one of the tents that the group have taken over since they joined the mercenary company commanded by captain Marqand. Here on this cold winter's day, in the hill country in northern Vexil. 

Standing upon the rooftop of the inn, at the northern end of the village, is Helbe the elven thief. The blurred and shielded elven masterthief is looking away to the east. 

Heading eastwards just a couple of hundred feet above the ground this afternoon is the frigate, the warship that arrived fist thing in the morning.

The elven magic user knows that airship owned by the Geist Trading Company won't find the two members of the group, who are still out there. 

Then the young elven noble, who hails from the island principality of Laerel, looks down at the part of the camp that's to the east of the village. 

The elven master assassin spots the tents off the mercenary company captained by Marqand, where the rest of the group are. 

The grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel, shifts away to the tents he's looking at, and in an instant, the blurred and shielded elven magic user is there amongst the tents he was just looking at. 

Inside one of the tents the group has taken over, Tamric Drubine is looking at a map of the hill country, here in northern Vexil, near the border with the kingdom of Girdane. 

On the small camp table next to the seat the young field commander is sitting on, is another map, this one showing the village, and the camp of the mercenary army that surrounds the village. 

The noble born commanding officer in the Armies of Farque, who was born and raised in the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin. 

Looks up at Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy, who is standing nearby, and is just about to ask the elven spy something. When suddenly Helbe the elven thief appears in the middle of the tent. 

"Fuck" sourly mutters Malisse aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, while Mira Reinholt the mage, who is kneeling down, putting something in a travel chest, almost falls over when the elven masterthief suddenly appears standing next to him. 

Ignoring the sour looks directed at him by his fellow members of Lord Farque's personal council, Helbe the elven thief says in the elven language "There's less than twenty spellcasters here in the army". 

The young elven noble who is a member of the royal family that rules the principality of Laerel, continues with "Only one to kind of worry about, is the wizard who is actually part of the Geist Trading Company". 

The mage Reinholt nods his hooded head when he hears that, then he gets up from where he's been kneeling. 

"Those two cousins will probably want to utilize Beldane" says Mira Reinholt the mage, who follows that with "Since they know he's a spellcaster, and will soon enough know how powerful he is". 

His fellow practitioner of magic, the highly talented elven magic user nods in agreement with that. 

And the elven master archer looks at Tamric Drubine, and tells him "Nothing we can really do about it, if they want to somehow use him, we'll have to play along". 

Unlike Helbe the elven thief who can't be sensed by other spellcasters, because he's always shielding himself. 

And Mira Reinholt the mage, who wears an amulet that hides his magical powers from other casters of magic. 

And Saanea the witch, who also has a talisman, which allows her to go undetected by other practitioners of magic. 

Beldane the cleric, who though can hold his power within himself for extended periods of time, to hide himself from other spellcasters. 

He can't do it indefinitely, for the simple reason he's a fairly powerful practitioner of magic. The most powerful one in the group at this time. When though historically, the mage Reinholt at the height of his powers, was even far more powerful than the fighting cleric in the church of Glaine. 

"Anything else?" asks Tamric Drubine the field commander. Helbe the elven thief, who had just been watching the Geist cousins Gamil and Farsen return to the inn, where they're headquartered, says "The Geist cousins are expecting this Misa to turn up tomorrow some time" followed by "After the last of the companies they've hired arrive". 

The elven masterthief, who is Lord Farque's envoy, pauses for a moment or two, before he continues with "They're expecting here, but they're not sure if she'll actually show up". 

The elven princeling slightly shrugs, then says "Not really, they actually don't know her that well too" in response to field commander Drubine asking him "Have you found out anything else about her?". 

"Hmmm" murmurs Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called by those who know him well, who then says "Then we wait until she shows up, or they have this army of theirs move out" . . . . . .